Caulking mechanism



June 1964 w. A. SHERBONDY 3 CAULKING MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1961 INVENTOR. I

Infill/AM 4 WEFaaA/oy United States Patent 3,136,456 CAULKING MECHANISM William A. Sherbondy, 2517 Guilford Road, (Cleveland Heights 18, Ohio Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,475 3 Claims. (Cl. 222327) This invention pertains to caulking mechanisms and more particularly to an air actuated caulking system.

In many phases of the construction industry, so-called caulking materials are used to seal seams and cracks. These cracks and seams are sealed to minimize heat losses and to prevent ingress of water and other fluids so as to inhibit rotting and corrosion.

As a specific example, when an existing house is covered with aluminum siding, a seal of caulking material will be applied completely around each window between the aluminum and window frame. Other'strips of caulking compound will be applied under eaves, along with corners .of the house, etc.

Clearly, when such quantities of caulk are applied, a great amount of time and effort is required if manually actuated caulking guns are used. Some attempts have been made to reduce this time and effort through the provision of fluid actuated caulking guns. These attempts have not been successful for a number of reasons. Such guns have been heavy and cumbersome and difiicult to use. In addition, all such guns, unless extremely complex and cumbersome, have required specialized containers for the caulk material. Further, long and unwieldy fluid supply lines have been required to provide the gun with the fluid under pressure necessary for expelling the caulk.

All of these and other disadvantages are overcome by the present invention. With this invention a compact, portable, and light weight caulking system is provided. For example,'this entire system can be carried by a man as he walks along a scaffold applying caulk. In addition, a simplified arrangement for replenishing caulk supply is provided so that Well known disposable cartridges of caulking material may be quickly and expeditiously used in air actuated guns. It is also possible for the first time to utilize an air actuated caulking gun without using long and heavy air supply lines extending to some remote air supply.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a portable and compact air actuated caulking system which will permit caulk to be applied at greatly increased rates of speed and with greatly increased facility.

More specifically, a principal object of the invention is to provide a portable air actuated caulking gun, connected to a tank of air under pressure which is portable and secured to a harness so that a workman may carry his air supply and the caulking gun as he performs a caulking job.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved air actuated caulking gun which utilizes disposable cartridges of caulk material.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved air actuated caulking gun in which a seal is effected between a gun housing and a disposable caulking tube so that a piston in the tube may have air applied directly to it for the expulsion of the caulk thereby eliminating the need for specialized caulking tubes or in the alternative piston rods and other similar apparatus.

Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a caulking gun which has a chamber with a removable end closure, a seal at the base of the chamber, and a nozzle threadably carried by the removable closure. The nozzle is adapted to seat against an end of a disposable caulking tube to urge the tube into sealing engagement with the seal at the base of the chamber.

"ice

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a foreshortened exploded view, with parts broken away, and removed, of the novel and improved air actuated caulking gun;

FIGURE 2 is a foreshortened perspective View, with parts broken away and removed, and on an enlarged scale with respect to FIGURE 1, of the outlet end of the caulking tube and gun with the nozzle in position to be seated against the tube; and,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale with respect to the remainder of the drawings, showing the entire caulking system.

Referring now to the drawings, the new air actuated caulking gun is shown generally at 10. A fitting 11 is secured to the rearward end of the gun 10, FIGURE 1. A removable coupling 12 selectively connects a flexible air supply line 13 to the fitting 11. The air supply line 13 is connected to the outlet of a master control valve 14 on the outlet end of an air supply tank 15. A harness 16 is connected to the air supply tank 15 and used to strap the air supply tank 15 on the back of a workman.

Referring now most particularly to FIGURE 1, the air gun 10 includes a central housing tube'20. This hous ing tube is a cylindrically contoured section of metal tubing threaded at its inlet and outlet ends 21, 22. An inlet end cap 23 is threaded onto the inlet end 21 of the housing tube 20. A gasket 24 is positioned between the inlet end cap 23 and the inlet end 21 of the tube 20.

This inlet end cap 23 is securely connected to the tube 20 with a portion of the gasket 24 clamped between them to form a fluid tight seal. The gasket 24 includes an inner annular lip 28 which telescopes into the tube 20 for a purpose which will be described below.

A spring biased and normally closed control valve 25 is secured to the inlet end cap 23. The valve 25 carries the fitting 11 and defines a selectively openable air supply passage 26. This air supply passage 26 connects the air supply flexible conduit 13 to an internal chamber 27 within the housing tube 20.

At the outlet end 22, a removable outlet end cap 30 is threaded onto the housing tube 20. The outlet end cap 30 has a threaded aperture in which a nozzle adaptor 29 is threaded. The nozzle adaptor 29 carries a nozzle 31. Y

The limits of the chamber 27 are defined by the housing tube 20 and the end caps 23, 30. A disposable caulking cartridge is shown generally at 33 and positioned within this chamber 27. This cartridge includes a tube 34 which is normally a paper tube and an apertured outletend cap 35. The cap 35 is crimp connected to the outlet end of the paper tube 34. A supply of caulking compound 36 is carried by the tube. A movable piston 37 is positioned near the rearward end of the tube 34 for propelling the caulk 36 forwardly and expelling it through an outlet aperture 33 in the tube end cap 35.

One of the outstanding advantages of the invention resides in the construction which permits the use of one of these conventional disposable caulking cartridges in an air actuated caulking gun. This advantage is accomplished by the provision of the annularresilient gasket lip 28 which abuts the inlet or rearward end of the disposable tube 34. The tube 34 is seated againstthis annular lip 28 by the coaction of the nozzle 31 and the end cap 35.

The end cap 35 includes an outwardly directed skirt 42 which surrounds the tube cap outlet aperture 38. The nozzle adaptor 29 has a frusto-conically contoured tapered surface 43 surrounding its inlet end. When the gun is prepared for operation, the nozzle adaptor 29 is threaded inwardly until the surface 43 seats against the inside of the skirt 42 flaring it outwardly to circularly bind the two together and form a fluid tight seal therebetween. This seating forces the entire disposable cartridge33 rearwardly into fluid tight sealing engagement with the annular gasket lip 28.

Operation In operation, the outlet cap 36 is first removed, the caulking cartridge 33 is then inserted in the chamber 27 and the cap 30 is reconnected to the housing tube 20. The nozzle adaptor 29 is then threaded inwardly. A wrench may be applied to suitable flats 44 on the nozzle adaptor to assure thorough seating of the tapered surface 43 against the skirt 42. This thorough seating, as has been indicated above, simultaneously forms a fluid tight seal at the outlet aperture 38 and biases the disposable tube 34 against the gasket lip 28 to form a fluid tight peripheral seal at the inlet end of the tube 34. The inner end 45 of the nozzle terminates at a sharp circular edge. As the nozzle 31 is threaded inwardly, this sharp surface 45 cuts a small disc out of the center of a sealing diaphragm 46 positioned inside of the tube end cap 35. The small and severed disc will be expelled from the nozzle with the first caulk projected through the nozzle.

With the gun now prepared for use, the operator sim-' ply positions the nozzle appropriately for the application of caulking material, and actuates the valve 25 to admit air into the rearward portion of the chamber 27. This air acts against the piston 37 to shift it axially to the right, as seen in FIGURE 1 and expel the caulk from the nozzle 31.

With the described apparatus, it is possible for the first time fora workman to carry an air actuated caulking gun onto a scaffold and perform continuous unobstructed caulking operations. He may carry several extra disposable caulking cartridges with him. When all of the caulk has been expelled from one cartridge, he removes the end cap 30, throws away the used tube 34, and inserts another cartridge 33. Thusythe Workman may, Without assistance, apply large quantities of caulk at a very high speed and with a minimum of effort. He is not dependent upon a supply of air from a compressor or other sources on the ground since the tank will supply ample air for 15 to cartridges. Further, the operator is not inhibited by heavy and cumbersome air supply air hoses, nor is he dependent upon a properly operated air compressor.

Another of the advantages of this mechanism is that an air actuated caulking gun is supplied in which the only parts of the gun which touch the caulk are the adaptor 29 and the nozzle 31. The only parts, then, which require cleaning are the nozzle and adaptor. Should they become clogged or diflicult to clean, they can be readily and easily replaced.

While the invention has been described with a great deal of detail .and particularlity, it is believed that it essentially comprises a portable caulking system including an air cylinder supported by a harness, a flexible conduit connecting the cylinder to an air actuated gun, and a means to selectively connect the air cylinder to the gun to expel caulk from the gun.

Although the invention has been described in its pre ferred form with a certain degree of particularity,'it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by Way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing. from the spirit and the scope of the inventionas hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an air tank,'a master control valve connected to the tank, a flexible conduit connected to the valve, a caulking gun housing defining an elongated chamber connected to the conduit, manually actuated valve means connected to the housing .for the selective admission of air supplied by the tank and conduit to the chamber, an open ended caulking tube in the chamber, the tube having inlet and outlet ends, an apertured end cap secured to the tube partially closing the tube outlet end and defining an outlet port, a rectilinearly movable piston in the tube and interposed between the ends thereof, a quantity of caulk between the piston and the apertured end cap, an annular resilient washer between the base of the chamber and the inlet end of the tube forming an air-tight seal surrounding the chamber to conduit connection such that air admitted to the chamber is maintained within the tube to act'against the piston, a caulking gun end cap removably secured'to the end of the housing adjacent said apertured end cap, and a nozzle assembly communicating with the tube outlet port to conduct caulk expelled from the tube, said assembly including a portion threaded into said calking gun end cap and-engaged in said apertured end cap to form a fluid tight seal while simultaneously biasing the tube against the Washer.

2. A gas actuatable caulking assembly comprising an elongated'housing portion having inlet and outlet ends,

an inlet end cap and valve assembly secured to the housing inlet end, an outlet end cap and nozzle assembly secured to the housing outlet end, a caulking tube cartridge having inlet and outlet ends carried by the housing between said assemblies, said cartridge including a caulk tube end cap secured to the 'outlet end of the cartridge and having an outlet port,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,236,727 Dewees Apr. 1, 1941 2,263,653 Smith et al. Nov. 25, 1941 2,463,736 Benson Mar. 8, 1949 2,558,181 Kassel June 26, 1951 2,833,450 Sherbondy May 6, 1958 2,838,210

Detrie et al June 10, 1958 

2. A GAS ACTUATABLE CAULKING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING PORTION HAVING INLET AND OUTLET ENDS, AN INLET END CAP AND VALVE ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE HOUSING INLET END, AN OUTLET END CAP AND NOZZLE ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE HOUSING OUTLET END, A CAULKING TUBE CARTRIDGE HAVING INLET AND OUTLET ENDS CARRIED BY THE HOUSING BETWEEN SAID ASSEMBLIES, SAID CARTRIDGE INCLUDING A CAULK TUBE END CAP SECURED TO THE OUTLET END OF THE CARTRIDGE AND HAVING AN OUTLET PORT, A PISTON IN THE CARTRIDGE BETWEEN ITS END, SAID INLET END CAP AND VALVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SEAL MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE CARTRIDGE AND SAID INLET ASSEMBLY TO FORM A GAS-TIGHT SEAL, AND SAID OUTLET ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A NOZZLE MEMBER THREADED INTO THE HOUSING END CAP AND SEATED IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST THE TUBE END CAP TO URGE SAID CARTRIDGE INTO FLUID-TIGHT CONNECTION WITH SAID SEAL MEANS. 